Let us consider theatrical scenes in the sense of chapters in a book: a single scene tells a self-contained part of the bigger story that is the plot.

This is loose definition, insofar as it may be argued that some scenes contain sub-scenes that are, in effect, scenes in their own right. However itt is sufficient definition for our present aim, which is to consider the main components of scenes.

Broadly speaking, scenes serve one or more of several purposes, including:

• to expose characters and conflicts between or within the characters;
• to mark a step in one or more character journeys;
• to bring about a shift in the balance of power between or among characters;
• to heighten or resolve a conflict.

Note the strong verbs, which are indicative of the fact that scenes are essentially about change. A scene is not a scene unless it moves the plot forward, or at least assists the plot in some way.

Exposition

Arguably the weakest of these verbs, from the perspective of strong theatrical writing, is the first: expose.

Exposition is obviously crucial, insofar as the audience must understand something of the characters and their situation if they are to be persuaded to take an interest in the play. Nevertheless, exposition alone does not make a play. Once the audience has grasped the idea of what the characters are about, they immediately begin to want to see things happen: the conflicts, the events, the steps, the shifts, etc.

Accordingly, writers are encouraged to think of exposition as something necessary, to be achieved as quickly and painlessly as possible from the point of view of the audience. Ideally, no scene of the play should be devoted exclusively to exposition. The best writing gets straight down to the business of plot development, combining exposition of character with forward movement within the first few lines.

The advice for radio writers — begin with a crisis — is equally apt for theatre writers. Having paid for their tickets, theatregoers may be more committed than radio listeners who happen to tune in at the start of a play, but they are equally inclined to switch off if their interest is not immediately engaged.

Journeys and Outcomes

Every scene must have an outcome. The outcome of a purely expository scene is that the audience now knows something about the characters on stage. In all other scenes, the outcome is the result of some change among, between and/or within the characters on stage.

A scene is therefore a journey in itself. Like all (comprehensible) journeys, it must be susceptible to description in a few simple sentences (The ghost of Hamlet's father informs Hamlet that he was murdered by Claudius and tells Hamlet to avenge the murder...), while the fuller version demands action and dialogue. If the writer cannot describe the scene in this way or if the description does not imply some change in the state of the characters, the most likely reason is that the scene does not conform to the principles suggested here.

Accordingly, there is much to be said for writing a description of the scene, encapsulating the (mini-)journey and the outcome, before embarking on the writing of the scene itself.

In much the same way as the playwright can save effort by trying to write the theatre flier before starting to draft the play (Click here for the topic sheet that considers this: Generating Plot Ideas), pre-writing scene descriptions helps to ensure that every scene is both necessary and purposeful.

This practice is also helpful in charting complex plots that cannot readily be overviewed at their full length.

Characters' Motivations

Scenes are invariably powered by characters' motivations. Theatre is essentially about characters' intentions and actions being thwarted by events and/or coming into conflict with the intentions and actions of other characters. When planning a scene, it is always useful to think about what each character is trying to achieve and why, and to exploit this information for the good of the play.

Even the lowliest characters have their motivations: the servant whose role is simply to admit guests to the drawing room of the principal characters probably wants to impress his/her employer. Such characters can take on a new importance when their motivations encounter conflict. What will happen to the butler who trips on the carpet, spilling wine down the duchess' back?